Lucan Schools Hugh McNally Junior Hurling Blitz

On a fine spring afternoon, 7 Lucan schools lined out for the annual Hugh Mc Nally junior hurling blitz.  The weather ensured the ground was dry and the hurling that was on show matched the weather for splendour.  The schools were split into two groups – Group 1 saw St. Marys A, Gael Scoil Eiscir Riada, Divine Mercy and Scoil Aine Naofa B.  Group 2 consisted of Gael Scoil Naomh Pádraig, St. Mary’s B, Scoil Mhuire, Scoil Aine Naofa A and Lucan East Educate Together.

The fine weather also brought a great crowd of parents along to cheer on the players and the players on all teams ensure that a great display of hurling was on show.  All the games were played in great spirit and with equal amounts of determination on all sides.

In Group 1, a tight series of games saw no team really dominate.  For St. Mary’s A, Kian Clements and Calum Conway entertained the watching crowd with some interplay and defensively Ryan Clancy, Joey McCabe and Patrick McHugh were solid both in their own area and keeping the sliotar up the opposition end whilst in attack.  Gael Scoil Eiscir Riada were led superbly by Jamie Smith and Conor O’Neill and there wasn’t much between the two with St. Mary’s ending up topping the group with Gael Scoil Eiscir Riada finishing second.  Playing for the other two spots say an excellent battle between Divine Mercy and Scoil Aine Naofa B with Chris Hylands showing well along with Sean and James Kearney.  For Divine Mercy, each time they play in the schools’ blitz their hurling keeps getting better and no wonder with some excellent blocking from Conor and Shane Dolan but also Diego Grendon and Evan O’Shea.

Group 2 had five teams so one team was resting for each game.  Again two teams stood out with St. Mary’s B and Gael Scoil Naomh Pádraig playing two and winning two before a group topping clash.  In a very competitive game scores were at a premium at the beginning as each side rowed with the punches.  Then in a flurry of activity goals and points reigned in at both ends with Gael Scoil Naomh Pádraig edging a thriller by a couple of points.  Some fine hurling was epitomised by Joey Dunne and Daragh Lyons for St. Mary’s and Cathal O’Maolchaoin and his brother Daithi ably assisted by Cathal O’Duda.  Scoil Mhuire finished just behind St. Mary’s in the group finishing just ahead of Scoil Aine Naofa A.  Robert Keher was a standout performer for Scoil Mhuire alongside Daniel Kane.  For Scoil Aine Naofa Adam Duffy, Darragh Meehan were tenacious in their play and this enable Rory Egan to display his freestyle hurling skills in attack.  In hopefully a sign for the future Lucan East Educate Together showed great determination and effort in their approach and never gave up in any of the games despite the odds being stacked against them at various stages.  Dara O’Callaghan and Jordan Kindande were only two of a fine group of players who did themselves proud.

Onto the final set of games and the A final saw Gael Scoil Naomh Pádraig play St. Mary’s A in another fine game.  With scoring not as plentiful as the group game against St. Mary’s other team, Gael Scoil edged out St. Mary’s by a tight margin in a well fought and entertaining contest.  St. Mary’s B put their second place finish in the group behind them to put in an excellent display in an excellent game against Gael Scoil Eiscir Riada.  In a free flowing free scoring game St. Mary’s came out on top by the odd point.  Scoil Mhuire overcame the ever improving Divine Mercy to record a win and in the final game Scoil Aine Naofa’s two teams played off against each other with only a one point margin separating them.

Gael Scoil Naomh Pádraig were the deserved winners of the perpetual Hugh McNally trophy but hurling was surely the winner, played out in the 12^th Lock on a perfect day and surrounding for hurling.